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Title: Agnes Grey
Author: Anne Brontë
Narrator: Libby Gohn
Format: Unabridged
Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
Language: English
Release date: 01-02-17
Publisher: Paperless
Genres: Classics, British Literature
Publisher's Summary:
Agnes Grey is the debut novel of English author Anne Bronte (writing under the pen name of Acton Bell), first published in December 1847, and republished in a second edition in 1850. The novel follows Agnes Grey, a governess, as she works within families of the English gentry. Scholarship and comments by Anne's sister Charlotte Bronte suggest the novel is largely based on Anne Bronte's own experiences as a governess for five years. Like her sister Charlotte's novel Jane Eyre, it addresses what the precarious position of governess entailed and how it affected a young woman.
The choice of central character allows Anne to deal with issues of oppression and abuse of women and governesses, isolation and ideas of empathy. An additional theme is the fair treatment of animals. "Agnes Grey" also mimics some of the stylistic approaches of bildungsromans, employing ideas of personal growth and coming to age, but representing a character who in fact does not gain in virtue.
The Irish novelist George Moore praised Agnes Grey as "the most perfect prose narrative in English letters", and went so far as to compare Anne's prose to that of Jane Austen. Modern critics have made more subdued claims admiring Agnes Grey with a less overt praise of Bronte's work than Moore.
Members Reviews:
Although I quite enjoyed the characters
After reading 'Wutherig Heights' and 'Jane Eyre', I found this rather tame reading. Although I quite enjoyed the characters, on the whole the novel lacked spark. A happy, rather predictable ending.
Sweet and lovely
After reading the works of her sisters, I was pleasantly surprised to find no gothic or dark themes in this book at all. Agnes Grey is a lovely book that I read with eagerness and finished with remorse. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I have enjoyed reading the Bronte sisters
I was intrigued to find this book by Anne Bronte. I have enjoyed reading the Bronte sisters, but I had not heard of this book. The forward gives lots of interesting information including the fact that this was actually written before Charlotte's "Jane Eyre", which publishers were more interested in. It is somewhat autobiographical. There is one scene of violence against animals, but it isn't too graphic. Suffice it to say that Agnes Grey's charges were definitely hellions, but there is a happy ending for her.
The only avenue for poor, single women was the role of governess
The interesting angle of this book is the issue of the treatment of women in those early times before women's rights were established. The only avenue for poor, single women was the role of governess, which turned out to be somewhat like indentured servanthood. The realistic portrayal of the spoiled children of the rich was quite effective, no doubt due to the author's personal experience as a governess. And the pressure on women to marry for position (with often tragic results, as in the case of Rose) was due to women having so few choices. But the portrayal of the heroine's love is melodramatic, in my opinion. I didn't find her realistic for any historical period. She was the idealized version of the times, no doubt: all humility, self-effacement, reticent in her dealings with her beloved. I wanted to push her to say something to him to him to let him know she had some feeling for him!
Not as passionate as Jane Eyre
Enjoyable but not as addictive as her sister's writing .
